Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to technology for maintaining and improving hardware device functioning that is driven by software (e.g., applications or apps) and, more particularly, to providing discretion and control over which software updates are selected to be applied to any particular device.
Related Art
A wide variety of application programs, known as apps or mobile apps, are available for installation on consumer mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Some apps are available for free while others may be purchased through a digital distribution system generally referred to as an app store. App store may also refer to an app, installed on a consumer mobile device, that provides a consumer user with access and interface to an app store system so that, using an app store app, a user can purchase apps using the mobile device and download apps directly to the user's mobile device. Different versions of an app store may be available, for example, depending on the specific operating system (OS) that runs the particular mobile device.
Occasionally—and for some types of apps, routinely—an app will be updated as improvements are made to the app or changes are made to the app to correct malfunctions or other undesired effects, commonly referred to as “bugs”. Such mobile app updates may be available, or even disseminated to the user, from the app store via the app store app. Mobile app updates can, however, introduce bugs that can render an application unusable despite being carefully vetted through the app store.
Moreover, mobile app updates that may be developed for the latest operating systems and devices—yet are capable of being installed and running on an older version of the same operating system—may cause various issues for an older operating system or device, such as slowing the system down or “breaking” it (e.g., causing the OS to “lock up” requiring a reboot). Without any kind of automated system that can alert a user before the user has actually updated the app and is encountering the problem, an unsuspecting user may accept or install such an update, having no better option than to go about reading reviews manually, looking at ratings, or just installing the update in the device to try it out, risking changes (that can be, for all practical purposes, irreversible) to the device that can cause serious issues for the operation of the mobile device or otherwise can be, at best, annoying for the user.
In addition to mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, a wide variety of devices such as smart thermostat systems, washer-dryers that utilize Wi-Fi for remote monitoring, heart monitoring implants, biochip transponders on farm animals, automobiles with built-in sensors, or field operation devices that assist fire-fighters in search and rescue are coming to include uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices that can be interconnected within the existing Internet infrastructure, referred to as the Internet of Things, or the Internet of Everything. Such devices and their software applications will need updating and will be subject to similar problems as described above for user mobile devices.
Thus, there is a need for an improvement to the technology of updating software in the field of maintaining and improving hardware device functioning.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages may be best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, in which the showings therein are for purposes of illustrating the embodiments and not for purposes of limiting them.